Mechanical earth working machine

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a mechanical earth working machine, such as a mechanical excavator or loader, so designed as to permit rectilinear movement of the tool, the height and direction of travel of the tool also being selectively adjustable depending upon the work to be carried out, each of the said adjustments being produced automatically.

United States Patent lnventor Jean-Pierre B. Bellart Senlb, France Appl.No. 846,135

Filed July 30, 1969 Patented June 15, 1971 Assignee Soclete AnonymePoclaim 019e, France Priority Aug. 2, 1968 France 161627 MECHANICALEARTH WORKING MACHINE 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

Int. Cl. E02! 3/75 Field 01' Search 214/132,

Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assis lam Examiner- Frank E. WernerAttorney- Mason, Fenwick & Lawrence ABSTRACT: This invention relates toa mechanical earth working machine, such as a mechanical excavator orloader, so designed as to permit rectilinear movement of the tool, theheight and direction of travel of the tool also being selectivelyadjustable depending upon the work to be carried out, each of the saidadjustments being produced automatically.

PATENTED JUN] s :97:

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MECHANICAL EARTH WORKING MACHINE Mechanical earth working machines arealready known which partly carry out the functions of the machinesaccording to the invention. Thus, there are machines provided with atelescopic jib having a working tool articulated at the end thereof.Such equipment has certain disadvantages, however, more particularlyconsiderable length of the operating mechanism even in the retractedposition. Consequently, these machines are relatively difficult to use.Machines of this type are also unable to carry out all the work whichthe machines according to the invention are required to perform, as willbe apparent hereinafter.

Other machines are known which are provided with an operating mechanismcomprising, inter alia, two deformable parallelograms, whose major sidesare equal and can simultaneously be oriented in accordance with equaland opposite angles. However, the need to obtain an adequate travel ofthe tool has resulted in constructions which are limited by the size ofthe jibs towards the ground, at least insofar as concerns machines inwhich the means for orienting the major sides of the parallelogramsprevents any independent orientation of said sides of the twoparallelograms.

The object of the invention is to obviate these disadvantages. Inaddition to the special uses for which it provides an adapted civilengineering machine, it allows conventional usage without anymodification of its working equipment.

To this end, the invention relates to a mechanical earthworking machinecomprising a turret, a jib mounted pivotally on the turret, a tooloperating mechanism comprising two defon'nable parallelograms, whosemajor sides are equal and are simultaneously adapted to be orientedaccording to equal and opposite angles by means of an angularorientation mechanism, and a means of adjusting the height of the toolwith respect to the ground, characterized in that the angularorientation mechanism for the major sides of the parallelogramsupporting the tool are pivotally connected to the means for adjustingthe height of the tool with respect to the ground, while the means foradjusting the height of the tool is of the parallel-displacement type.

According to a preferred embodiment, the means for adjusting the heightof the tool consists of a deformable parallelogram.

Also, the, the angular orientation mechanism rams are advantageously fedin series.

The invention will be more readily understood and secondary features andtheir advantages will be apparent from the description ofone embodimentwhich is given below by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevationof a machine according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of part of the pressure fluid supplycircuit for the orientation rams for the major sides of theparallelograms;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a variant of the machineaccording to the invention:

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of part of the pressure fluid supplycircuit for the rams for controlling the two parallelograms whose majorsides are equal, with reference to the variant shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of part of a variant of the machineaccording to the invention.

The machine according to the invention, illustrated in FIG. 1, comprisesa main chassis 29 mounted on wheels or an endless track 30. A turret 31is rotatably mounted on the chassis 29 and carries a jib 1 pivotallyconnected thereto on a horizontal axis 13. The jib 1 is mounted to pivotabout the axis 13, its angle of inclination being adjustable by means ofa ram 25 pivotally mounted to the jib 1 and the turret 31 by means ofpivots and 16 respectively.

The tool operating mechanism comprises a system of levers interconnectedby pivots and adjustable as to shape and position by means of rams. Thelever system comprises levers 2 and 3 pivotally connected at 14 and 13to jib 1 and at 28 and 19 to a beam 4. A ram 5 is mounted between thelever 3 and the beam 4 on pivots 17 and 18 respectively. The pivots oraxes 18, 19 and 28 on beam 4 are in alignment. The levers 2 and 3 areequal in length and the distances between the pivots l9 and 28 and 13and 14 are equal, so that the geometric figure formed by the levers 2and 3 and the straight-line portions of the jib 1 and the beam 4 betweenpivots l9-28and 13-14 respectively is a parallelogram which isdeformable by means of the ram 5.

Similarly, a parallelogram is formed by levers 6 and 7 which arepivotally connected at 32 and 33 to the beam 4 and at 27 and'26 to alink 8, the distances between pivots 26-27 and pivots 32-33 being equal.

A ram 24 is mounted between this latter parallelogram and the beam 4,being pivotally connected at 26 to said parallelogram and at 34 to thebeam 4 and serves to control the shape and position of saidparallelogram.

Two levers 9 and 10 equal in length to levers 2 and 3 are pivotallyconnected respectively at 27 and 26 to the link 8 and at 22 and 21 to arocker arm 11. The distances between pivots 26-27 and 21-22 are equal sothat the geometric figure represented by the quadrilateral 21-22-27-26is a parallelogram. Said parallelogram is deformable by means of a ram12 pivotally mounted at 20 on the lever 9 and at 21 on the lever 10. Theworking tool 35, which in the example shown is a drag bucket, isarticulated on the rocker arm 11 about pivotal axis 36 and a jack 23 forcontrolling the movement of the bucket 35 is mounted between the rockerarm 11 and an intermediate rocker arm 39. The ram is connected to therocker arm 11 by a pivot 37 and the intermediate rocker arm 11isconnected to the bucket 35 by a pivoted link 39. The levers 2, 7 and10 and the jib 1 and rocker arm 11 are formed by two parallel leverparts so as to allow movement of the various rams between the two partsof said levers.

The jib and the bucket operating mechanism is shown in full lines in itsoperative position in FIG. 1 and in its inoperative position in brokenlines. The straight lines AB and CD show the rectilinear paths of thetool in each case. Construction is such that the triangles formed by thepivotal axes 20-21-22 and 17-18-19 are similar and remain so duringoperation. For this purpose the distances between the axes 18-19 and21-22 are in the same ratio as those of the axes 17-18 and 20-21 of therams 5 and 12 are also in the same ratio. These distances apply when therams are in similar end positions and in intermediate positions.

In intermediate positions, the condition is satisfied by providingmovements of the rams 5 and 12 in the required ratio, and this can beachieved, for example, by using a refeed hydraulic system such asillustrated in FIG. 2 and which comprises three-way distributors 40 and41 associated with the rams 5 and 12. These distributors areconventional and allow the corresponding ram to be supplied in eitherdirection, a neutral inoperative position being provided between the twoend positions. The rams are disposed in similar ways with the rods 42and 43 extending upwardly, for example, the bottom chambers being 44 and45 and the top chambers 46 and 47. It will be seen that the twodistributors 40 and 41 are in similar positions and are pulleddownwards, so that, for example, the chamber 46 of the ram 5 isconnected to the chamber 45 of the ram 12, whereby the fluid expelledfrom the former by the movement of the piston supplies the second andcauses its piston to move. This system is conventional and .it is knownthat if the sections of the top chamber 46 of the ram 5 and of thebottom chamber of the ram 12 are made in inverse ratio to the requiredtravel, the required result is obtained inasmuch as the distributors arecontrolled simultaneously and in the same direction. The supply ofpressure fluid is through the conduit 48 but the delivery to thereservoir 49 is through conduit 50. The rams 5 and 12 can thus be fed inseries, control of the distributor being selectively chosen to bedependent on or independent of one another.

A modified form of the hereinbefore-described machine is illustrateddiagrammatically in FIG. 3. Most of the parts of the first embodimentare shown and like references denote like parts. This modificationdiffers from the first embodiment mainly in the formulation of theparallelograms whose major sides are equal.

Referring to FIG. 3 the straight line passing through the axes l8 and 19is continued beyond 19 and is intersected by a line 2a passing throughaxes 28-14 and parallel to a line passing through axes 13-19. Thestraight lines 18-19 and 13-14 having been made parallel, thequadrilateral 13-14-28-19 is of course a parallelogram whose side 20,similar to the lever 2 in the first embodiment, is not in the form ofaphysical lever. To maintain the part ofjib 1 between axes 13-14 parallelto the part of lever 4 between axes 18-19, instead of the arm 2 in FIG.1, a ram 5a is used which is advantageously refed" by the ram 5 inaccordance with the diagram shown in FIG. 4.

Similarly, there is a parallelogram 21-22-27-26 formed between thelevers l and 8 of FIG. 1 being replaced by 100 and 8a, which are notactually embodied. A ram 12a fed in series with the ram 12 holds thelever 8, and hence the lever 8a, in the correct relative position to therocker arm 11 so that the arms 21-22 and 22-27 can be completed byimaginary arms 8a and-10a to form the required parallelogram.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit of the possible series supply ofthe rams 5, a, 12 and 12a. The hydraulic system is strictly similar tothe one already described, to which are added distributors 40a and 41afor feeding the rams 5a and 12a. A system is provided to allowsimultaneous operation of the four distributors, and hence combinedoperation of the corresponding rams, but independent actuation of eachof the distributors is also possible.

FIG. 5 shows some variants ofthe details of the embodiment according toFIG. 1.

The parallelogram, whose major sides 9 and correspond to the sides 2 and3 of FIG. 1 are directly articulated to beam 4 at 2711 and 260 withoutthe interpositioning of the parallelogram, two of the sides of which are6 and 7 of FIG. 1. It will be apparent hereinafter that the operation ofthe machine is unchanged, the parallelogram having the arms 6 and 7being used to control the height of the tool with respect to the ground.

Although it has been found convenient to refer to the L J' a ds??? .Qfhe ra l g ams 2 1 2-2 Q12 2 2a-27a-26a, these be ir 1g t he sides 9 and10 equal to the sides 2 and 3, this is simply for ease of referencejustified by the fact that in most cases the sides 9 and 10 or 2 and 3are larger than 21-22 or 13-14; however, this ease of reference does notpreclude the fact that in certain cases 9 or 10 may in fact be smallerthat 21-22. They will still be referred to as major sides. This specialarrangement has been intentionally shown in FIG. 5.

As a result of the direct articulation of the levers 9 and 10 on thebeam 4, the ends 210 and 22a are no longer articulated on the rocker arm11 but on an intermediate member 54 on which the parallelogram whichincludes levers 6 and 7 as sides is then articulated. This parallelogrammay have an arrangement other than the first described. This newarrangement is shown in FIG. 5, which shows that the arms 8a and 4a, thecounterparts of8 and 32-33, no longer have a fixed direction. Theparallelogram has rotated through a right angle in the plane of thedrawing. The arms 4a and 8a are articulated at 320 and 330 on the rockerarm 11 on which the tool is articulated, and at 55 and 220 on theintermediate element 54.

Operation is as follows. With the machine shown in FIG. 1, the rams 25,24 and 23 being locked, the tool 35 is brought into the positionindicated by the line AB parallel to a line passing through axis 13-14.The supply of pressure fluid to the ram 5 causes the latter to extend.If the distributors 40 and 41 are actuated simultaneously, the ram 12also extends. Since the triangles formed by axes -21-22 and 17-18-19 aresimilar, the angles of the parallelograms at the equal major sides areequal. Raising of the beam 4 a certain height is therefore accompaniedby an equal lowering of the rocker arm 11 and hence of the tool 35. Thelatter finally rests on the straight line parallel to the line throughaxis 13-14 and thus describes the straight line AB. This arrangement issuitable for levelling work for example.

It is a simple matter to allow the tool 35 to follow a straight lineinclined to the horizontal, such as CD. It is only necessary to inclinethe jib l by means of the ram 25 so as to make 13-14 parallel to therequired direction, i.e. CD in this example. This is the position shownin broken lines in FIG. 1, and is particularly suitable for embankmentwork.

Of course it is possible to operate the distributors 40, 41independently of one another. With the other rams still locked, forexample, the ram 5 is retracted and the ram 12 is extended and anydesired path can be obtained for the tool.

For example, if the rams 24 and 5 are locked, operation of thedistributors controlling the rams 25, 12 and 23 results in the machineoperating as a conventional mechanical shovel; The rigid assembly of thelevers 6, 7, the beam 4, the levers 2 and 3, and the jib 1 simply formsa large jib" which is oriented with respect to the turret 31 by means ofthe ram 25; the levers 9 and 10 form the balance beam which is orientedin relation to the "large jib by means of the ram 12; at the end of thebalance beam is the tool 35 which is articulated on the rocker arm 11and actuated by the ram 23.

When the tool 35 is made to describe the straight line AB, operation ofthe ram 24 adjusts the height of the tool 35 with respect to the lineAB. The parallelogram 26-27-32-33 is therefore the means of adjustingthe height of the tool in relation to the ground. Of course it willreadily be seen that the variant in FIG. 5 satisfies the same function.

It will be seen that the assembly of articulated arms is clear of theground, more particularly near the chassis 29. This is an advantageofthis type of machine.

It is unnecessary to described details of the folding of the operatingmechanism, in the transportation position, for example.

On the other hand, it should be understood that before any work isstarted, in order to obtain a rectilinear movement of the tool, the rams5 and 12 must be retracted. Since the rams have lengths in similar endpositions which are in the abovementioned similarity ratio, the startingposition is thus controlled to permit the rectilinear working.

It is unnecessary to describe in detail the operation of the l EFPlQH-shown in. Fi .2. the a rans nsats be equivalent and substantially thesame as those of the main embodiment. However, it should be pointed outthat there are two additional degrees of freedom of moment, so that withindependent operation of the rams 12 and 12a, for example, 12a can beretracted and 12 extended so that the rocker arm 11 is brought into aposition which cannot be obtained with the main embodiment.

The machines according to the invention have various applications, interalia, we may mention embankment works or levelling works, in which it isessential that the tool should described a straight line for cleanoperation.

As already stated, the operation of the machines described above is verysimple because it is automatic. The specialization for straight-lineworking does not exclude conventional applications. These mechanicalearth working machines may therefore be referred to as being reallyuniversal, since they can also carry out a number of completelydifferent operations which would otherwise require the use of as manyspecialized machines.

Although a drag bucket has been chosen as the tool for the exemplifiedembodiment and its variants, this is not a limitative choice and themachines according to the invention are perfectly capable, for example,to operate as loaders provided that the appropriate tool is fitted as areplacement for the drag bucket. Some other details of construction mayalso be modified.

With regard to the machine shown in FIG. 1, although it was previouslystated that in the exemplified embodiment the levers 2, 7 and 10, thejib 1 and the rocker arm 11 are in the form of two parallel arms, in avariant of the invention the said levers may be single members and therams may be overhung, for example, on the levers 7 and in anothervariant, two rams are disposed on either side of the jib.

With the machines shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, it was found convenient toindicate that the axes 18, 19 and 28 were in alignment, but of coursethis feature has been given as an example and other arrangements arepossible. On the other hand, it is necessary for the angles formedbetween axes l9l817 and 20-21-22 always to be equal.

It is not necessary to discuss the various ways in which the rams 5 and12 HO. 1) can be mounted between two elements of each parallelogram.

Similarly, the parallelogram for adjusting the height of the tool inrelation to the ground has been shown in one position in FIGS. 1 and 3and in another position in FIG. 5. Generally, this parallelogram can besecured without it being necessary for two of its levers to beconstantly vertical of constantly horizontal; in an alternativeembodiment the four levers are capable of being oblique in relation tothe horizontal for example. a

With regard to the points of attachment of the various rams,

although they have been arranged to coincide with some pivots, e.g. 26in the case of ram 24 shown in H6. 1, this being an advantageousarrangement to avoid unnecessary components, they are not necessarilyfixed to the points given as an example.

Of course, the rams 24 can be articulated other than at 26 without therebeing any disadvantage to operation.

What I claim is:

1. An earth working machine comprising a turret, an earth working tool,a jib pivotally mounted on the turret, jib and tool operating meanscomprising first and second deformable parallelograms, said first andsecond! parallelograms having major sides which are equal and areadapted to be oriented simultaneously according to equal and oppositeangles by means of an angular orientation mechanism comprising two rams,said first parallelogram extending from and connected to said turret,said second parallelogram supporting said tool on its outermost end,means connected between said deformable parallelograms for adjusting theheight of thetool with respect to the ground, and pivotal connectionmeans connecting the two major sides of said second parallelogramsupporting the tool to the means for adjusting the height of the toolwith respect to the ground wherein the means for adjusting the height ofthe tool is of the parallelogram displacement type.

2. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the means foradjusting the height of the tool consists of a deformable parallelogram.

3. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the rams of theangular orientation mechanism are of the hydraulic type fed in series.

1. An earth working machine comprising a turret, an earth working tool,a jib pivotally mounted on the turret, jib and tool operating meanscomprising first and second deformable parallelograms, said first andsecond parallelograms having major sides which are equal and are adaptedto be oriented simultaneously according to equal and opposite angles bymeans of an angular orientation mechanism comprising two rams, saidfirst parallelogram extending from and connected to said turret, saidsecond parallelogram supporting said tool on its outermost end, meansconnected between said deformable parallelograms for adjusting theheight of the tool with respect to the ground, and pivotal connectionmeans connecting the two major sides of said second parallelogramsupporting the tool to the means for adjusting the height of the toolwith respect to the ground wherein the means for adjusting the height ofthe tool is of the parallelogram displacement type.
 2. A machineaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the means for adjusting theheight of the tool consists of a deformable parallelogram.
 3. A machineaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the rams of the angularorientation mechanism are of the hydraulic type fed in series.